7.1

• Bolide


  Any extraterrestrial object
• Bolide impact events


  • Happen less frequently compared to other natural disasters
  • Pose one of the largest, if not greatest, threats to the existence of the human race
• Bolide impact events are the least likely natural disaster to occur
• Impact crater


  Depression shaped by factors like size, velocity, and angle of approach of asteroid, comet, or meteoroid impacts
• Impact crater formation


  1. Earth's surface is severely compressed and deformed

  2. Rock fragments (ejecta) are hurled into the atmosphere and fall back to the ground
• Deadly impacts from celestial bodies are not uncommon
• Small, uncommon impacts of extraterrestrial objects are rare
• Micrometeorites, ranging from 50 micrometers to 2 mm in diameter, frequently hit Earth
• Micrometeorites make up most extraterrestrial material reaching Earth's surface, producing tons of deposits daily
• Most micrometeorites do not burn upon entering Earth's atmosphere
• Slightly larger micrometeorites, 2-3 cm in size, become heated due to friction and melt or vaporize, displaying light, such as shooting stars
• Asteroids

  Large, stony or metallic chunks in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter that orbit the Sun
• Collisions or gravitational pull from the Sun or other planets cause asteroids to cross Earth's path
• Impact events

  • Pose a significant risk, with chances of death ranging from 1 in 3,000 to 1 in 1,250
• NASA is actively identifying and tracking near-Earth Objects (NEOs), comets and asteroids posing a significant threat
• As of 2011, 911 + 17 out of 981 + 19 NEOs larger than 1 km wide have been identified
• A program called Near-Earth Object Human Space Flight Accessible Targets Study (NHATS) was initiated in 2010 to identify NEOs for future human space flight missions
• Understanding NEOs' physical characteristics and paths is crucial for predicting their proximity to Earth
• Preparation for NEOs

  1. Initiating a space mission

  2. Preparing supplies for affected populations

  3. Evacuating the affected area